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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Patricia”

As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week it’s Patricia, an inventory manager (and Co-Founder of Boobs4Food), with her lunch recommendations for those of you who work in the no man’s land between WeHo and Beverly Hills.

Name: Patricia

Age: 27

Occupation: Operations and inventory manager by day, amateur baker at every other hour, co-founder of Boobs4Food

Where in L.A. do you Work?: A retail clothing boutique chain at Third & Robertson, the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood no man’s land

Favorite Kind of Food: I’m going to cheat and keep it broad — “comfort” food. Not specifically American comfort food, but those of most other cultures. Braised meats, curries over rice, slow-cooked sauces over pasta, soup noodles, stews — things that you would find your [ethnicity inserted here] best friend’s grandmother’s cooking. And good, salted butter or triple-creme cheese smeared on a fresh baguette.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Overdressed salads. I may be in the minority because with in-season produce and a slightly salty element like olives, cured meat, or cheese, I rarely think a salad needs dressing at all, but all too often, a perfectly good salad is ruined by dressing poured with a heavy hand. What before was a mix of fresh and clean tasting ingredients, becomes a wet rag.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: I usually eat pretty simply at lunch to sustain indulgent dinners out. When I feel the hankering for cheese and bread, I’ll go to Joan’s on Third (8350 W. 3rd St.) and consult the always helpful cheesemonger, throw in some speck, and a baguette from Breadbar (8718 W. 3rd St.). (I keep Echire butter in the work fridge.) The Joan’s short rib grilled cheese (aka Bon Appetit cover girl) is quite a tasty bread/meat/cheese combination, but reserved for special occasions like mild depression. A slice of the white pie at Vito’s (846 N. La Cienega) is also a favorite, and if I’m feeling like protein, I’ll pick up the koobideh or beef kabob at La Cienega Kabob House (444 N. La Cienega). Since the inception of Cart for A Cause, I’ve been known to hightail it to the Pacific Design Center or 5900 Wilshire for the chef of the day’s creation. Reliably delicious, substantial, and feeds myself as well as a senior — without a doubt, the best Tuesday option.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Having lunch out doesn’t happen to often, so Cuvee (145 S. Robertson) and Cafe Angelino (8735 W. 3rd St.) are the usual suspects due to proximity, but The Flowering Tree on (8253 Santa Monica Boulevard) has been on heavy delivery rotation lately. My coworkers can’t get enough of their chicken or tuna salad filled avocado halves.

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? Our short lunch periods don’t allow for a long leash, but every so often we’ll pick up from Tere’s Mexican Grill (at Cahuenga and Melrose), a few miles east. I can’t control myself around tortilla chips, and during the lunch hour, theirs are always fresh and completely addicting. Having one turns into thirty real quick. In the other direction, the mish mosh soup from Nate n’ Als (414 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills) is comforting when I’m under the weather.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Next to a fantastic marketplace like the Ferry Building in San Francisco, Borough Market in London, or La Boqueria in Barcelona. I’m a sucker for options, though it would take me 20 minutes to decide on a meal everyday.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers in L.A.? Does lunch end with something sweet, do you wait until mid-afternoon for a pick-me-up, or is dessert for after dinner only?

I like to wait until the mid afternoon for a little sugar rush to get me to the end of the day… but usually I’ll pick it up at lunch and save it for later. My favorite so far? Anything from the Thai bakery directly next to Ganda in Thai Town. Want to be next week’s Profiled: L.A. Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email me- zach@midtownlunch.com.